Hope Is So Much Closer To Beauty Than Sorrow
by Skrillex
Summary: Harry thinks Ginny is the one but when Fred helps him through yet another blow from none other than Lord Voldemort himself, he can't help but question how he really feels. Told from both points of view. CoWritten. HG, HF Eventual Slash
1. Keep Shaking Part One

**Characters and things do NOT belong to me, but to J. K.**

**The title belongs to the lovely band Blindside.**

**I own only the plot.**

"Harry…?" on any normal occasion I would have laughed at the younger boy standing on my doorstep, but something about his appearance struck an odd chord that kept me from laughing, which for anyone who knows me is quite the feat.

His tall, but skinny frame was shaking slightly in what I would have assumed to be cold, but something in his eyes suggested otherwise. The usually warm, compassionate pools of jade where dead, reflecting my face rather than their usual glowing, inner light. But this strange dead-ness was not only his eyes: everything about him looked extinguished. His saddened eyes where framed by long locks of obsidian colored hair that was plastered to his smooth, pale skin by the cool drops of water clinging to every part of his body. I hadn't even noticed the rain, but now that I saw him standing there, his clothes waterlogged and clinging to his emaciated frame, the downpour surrounding me was suddenly obvious. His teeth were chattering in time to his subtle shaking. Even if I had wanted to laugh then, I couldn't because the look on his face could stop even the highest of wizards from giggling at the wet, scrawny boy. His face was washed over with a crushed sort of sadness, a look of such defeat that I had to hold back the gasp aching to burst though my lips.

The defeat was what scared me. It was such a foreign look on the boys face…it stood out ugly and stark among the depression and confusion so cleanly displayed. Yet somehow, through the mess of defeat, small lines of determination still wound around his face aching to burst through and hide this rare display of raw emotion. The utter sadness of the boy was illuminated by a large, black trunk and empty owl cage sitting abandoned by his feet.

"Hey Fred…" when he spoke it was as if reality came crashing around me in every way. The absurdity of the situation, and the sheer desperation was suddenly so obvious.

As I realized I had been staring dumbstruck at the boy, and properly organized thoughts clicked into place, I did the obvious and pulled him quickly into my flat, flicking my wand at his belongs so that they followed us in. I blushed slightly, feeling foolish for staring at the boy. Still holding tight to the arm I had pulled him in with, I led him over to a pale green couch and gently eased him into the seat. He sat silently, looking at his feet, hands folded in his lap, still shaking despite the fireplace crackling near the end of the couch.

"…Harry?" I asked again. He just shook his head, focusing harder on his trainers. His silence and general dishevelment worried me, I had never seen the boy so exposed or vulnerable. Harry didn't see this though, he just sat there in his soaked clothing, raven hair clinging to his face, oblivious to my obvious fear. The affect was both handsome and haunting at the same time. "Harry, Harry please…" I was pleading now. "Harry, what's wrong?" he didn't move as I kneeled down in front of him, but as I reached my hand out toward him he pulled back. "Don't do this Harry…" I placed my fingers under his chin, his skin shockingly cold against my warm, rain free hands. I lifted his chin, bringing his cool, dead eyes up to meet mine. This time I couldn't help but gasp. The look was that of shattered glass. A splintered and scratched perfection, broken beyond the point of fixing and a part of my couldn't help but want to break with it. To take some of his raw and splintered pain and feed it into myself. I wanted to fix him. To re-light his eyes.

Fred's POV: Written by Emma

Harry's POV: Written by Gracie


	2. Keep Shaking Part Two

**I own nothing….**

I trudged up the drive to the small house at the top. I was dragging my belongings behind me, to tired and cold to even try to use magic. The rain poured down around me, obscuring my glasses and soaking my body. When I finally reached the door I tapped it lightly, shivering in the icy rain.

"Harry?" A voice that sounded as if it came from far away made me look up and into the concerned face of Fred Weasley.

Fred looked shocked, to say the least. I stood, shivering slightly, in the cold, and Fred stood, staring openly and clearly stunned.

"Hey, Fred…" I said tentatively. Fred seemed to be lost in his own world, openly staring at me, not saying a word.

My voice seemed to shake Fred out of his thoughts, and he hastily pulled me inside, flicking his wand so that my things followed us in. I noticed that he was blushing slightly, but I didn't bother to think about why.

He pulled me over to the couch by the same arm that he had used to pull me in with, and I was eased onto the pale green sofa. I folded my hands in my lap, looking at my feet, and shaking even though there was a fire crackling in the fireplace. I didn't want to look Fred in the face.

"Harry?" Fred asked again. But I just shook my head. I couldn't think about what had happened.. not now. I couldn't explain it to Fred. It was too soon.

"Harry? Harry, please… Harry what's wrong?" Fred was pleading now, and still I could not explain. I just shook my head.

Fred kneeled down in front of me, and reached out, but I recoiled. "Don't do this Harry…" he said, placing his fingers under my chin. His fingers were surprisingly warm against my cold, soaked skin. I looked into his face and he let out a gasp. Maybe he could see the pain and sorrow that I was feeling on my face, maybe he wanted to help... But he couldn't. He wasn't there, he didn't know… there was nobody who could understand.

**Tell us what you think!**


	3. Addled Part One

Harry shook his head, something in the action made it clear he wasn't going to divulge any ideas. All he wanted was comfort. Before I realized what I was doing, I felt my arms wrap around his small body, drawing him into my warmth and up against my chest. He didn't move. I cringed inwardly, waiting for him to flinch and pull away, but it never happened. Only seconds passed by, but they seemed to carry on for hours, until finally, as if shutting down, his body fell limp against my own. Immediately, breathing a sigh of relief, I pulled my arms tighter around him. I felt his head search out my neck, burying it deep into my side. I could feel the stark contrast of his warm tears now rolling down my neck, compared with the cold droplets of rainwater.

"Fred…" his voice was choked by sobs. I rubbed my hand along his spine feeling the smooth muscle under his skin. He had stopped shaking. My hand moved from his back up, toward his hair. I pulled my fingers through his obsidian locks, still damp from the rain.

"It's ok, Harry." He shook his head against my neck,

"It's not ok." I lifted his head up again, pushing back his bangs from his eyes.

"You can tell me anything…" he bit his lip, wiping away his tears on the back of his hand.

"He did it again, Fred!" His choked demeanor and voice suddenly filled with rage, "Aunt P-Petunia was a witch! She was a witch and he killed her! She never told me before, and the second she does that bastard comes and kills her!" fresh tears ran down his face. "She d-didn't go to," he swallowed deeply "Hogwarts. She wanted to be normal…but she knew Fred! She knew what it what it was like the first time around, to have him go after her family! He _killed _her, Fred!" I didn't even need to ask who 'he' was. My heart wrenched for the younger boy. He may not have loved his aunt, but it was yet another life taken from him, another connection severed by the hands of Lord Voldemort.

He broke down completely at this, once again leaning into my chest. I rocked him gently, the heartbreak of the younger boy tearing me up inside, but I made sure not to let Harry see this. Harry was always the strong one, and now he needed someone to take that position for him.

"Dumbledore s-said I c-can't stay with Ginny…s-said he'd k-kill her too…he knows we're t-together…" he let out a strangled sob that was muffled by the fabric of my shirt. "C-can I stay with you?" My heart fell slightly, I was a second choice. Of course he wanted to stay with Ginny…I was foolish to think otherwise.

"Of course, Harry." I squeezed him briefly, "As long as you'd like."

"Thanks Fred."

I woke up to find a dead weight sprawled against me. Opening my eyes I saw Harry still curled into my side. We must have fallen asleep after our talk…I tried not to move for fear of waking the younger boy up, he needed all the peace he could get, but I could help myself from gently stroking his hair. He stirred a little, but didn't wake. Just then there was a pop, as Ron's head appeared in the fireplace.

"Umm…should I go?" He asked uncertainly, his ears red. I laughed, noting the awkwardness of the situation.

"No, it's fine Ron. He just fell asleep...he's had a hard day." A brief look of relief mingled with the one of realization flitted across his face as he laughed, I laughed too, trying to ignore the strange sensation running through my stomach.

"Well," Ron said "George just wanted me to tell you he's got some dreadful news and will be over in a few hours…he said he fancied making you wait."

After our 6th year at Hogwarts, George had met a blonde witch named Alison, whom he now lived with. The two had plans to get married, but were holding off until Alison finished school. Mum's thrilled of course, ('Only just qualified and he's already getting married!') When we pointed out that she though Bill was rushing things she brushed it off as Alison being much more mature than Phlegm.

"Him and Ally are at the burrow right now…mum's having a right fit over their apartment. Blimey, when I move out she's not getting the address." I grinned weakly, as amusing as mum and new furniture can get, bad news from George is never anything minor…what could it be? Ron and the others obviously hadn't heard about Harry's aunt yet, because he flashed a smile before departing,

"Well, cheers mate." He nodded in my direction, "G'luck with George's _news_." And with that his head had disappeared from the fireplace.

Harry opened his eyes slowly, adjusting them to the light. He squirmed a little, shifting into a more comfortable position, but not pulling out of my arms. He looked up at me with a confused expression,

"Fred, what was that?"

"Just Ron telling me that George is coming over later…you don't mind do you? I could always floo him or something if you're not up to it…" Harry hastily shook his head

"No, no I don't mind."

"…How are you feeling?" He shrugged and I gave him a brief squeeze. "Things will get better, Harry"

**Author's Note**: I am so sorry it took so long to update! I've been sick lately. Anyway, thanks to starynite816, our ONLY reviewer and to those who have added the story on their alerts and favorites.

Once again, we only own the plot.

Please review, tell us what you think!

xoxox Emma


	4. Sorrrrry

Harry blinked.

**Author's Note**: Ok, so Grace is being a total LAZE (haha, sorry Gracie..) and has not written the next chapter and I'm just letting you all know that the fic has not been abandoned. Just a bit neglected...

Xoxox Emma


	5. Addled Part Two

**Disclaimer: Don't own it. If I did, Harry Potter 7 would never come out, because I would never get around to writing it. In fact, Harry Potter 1 probably wouldn't have ever come out, unless Emma was there to leave rude notes reminding me that I had things to write. **

I shook my head quickly. I wasn't going to share anything with Fred. Not yet.

Suddenly, Fred put his arms around me and pulled me close to his chest. I didn't move, I was torn between feeling slightly uncomfortable from being pulled into a hug by Fred, and the equally strong feeling of needing comfort. Finally, giving up, I let my body fall limp against him and buried my face in his neck.

"Fred…" I choked out through my tears. Fred's hand rubbed along my back, and in my hair.

"It's OK, Harry."

I shook my head. "It's not ok." Fred lifted my head up and pushed my bangs out of my eyes.

"You can tell me anything…"

I bit my lip as I wiped away my tears, considering what I should say. Should I really tell him? But the more I thought of what had happened, the more I had to say something, until it all came out as I suddenly felt filled with anger.

"He did it again, Fred! Aunt P-Petunia was a witch! She was a witch and he killed her! She never told me before, and the second she does that bastard comes and kills her! She d-didn't go to Hogwarts. She wanted to be normal…but she knew Fred! She knew what it what it was like the first time around, to have him go after her family! He _killed _her Fred!"

I broke down as I finished, leaning into Fred's chest. He began to rock me gently "Dumbledore s-said I c-can't stay with Ginny…s-said he'd k-kill her too…he knows we're t-together…" I let out a sob. "C-can I stay with you?"

"Of course, Harry." Fred said, squeezing me gently.

"Thanks, Fred"

I opened his eyes slowly, trying to adjust them to the light. I shifted myself into a more comfortable position, but I did not move out of Fred's arms, which I realized I had fallen asleep in. I heard a noise over by the fireplace, but I didn't see anything there

"Fred, what was that?"

"Just Ron telling me that George is coming over later…you don't mind do you? I could always floo him or something if you're not up to it…"

I quickly shook my head. "No, no I don't mind."

"…How are you feeling?" I shrugged and Fred gave me a quick squeeze. "Things will get better, Harry

I wished I could believe him.

**Authors note**: Sooo sorry this took so long. I probably wouldn't even have put it up now if I hadn't read that rather rude note Emma had posted, though, because I actually wanted to go to bed. But, if I must give up valuable sleep time for the benefit of the readers, fine. But don't expect me to do it again! Lol. Anyways, please leave a review. Almost 500 people have viewed this story, and only three have left a review! Even if you don't like it, please leave a review to tell us what we could do to make it better. And if you like it, all the more reason to leave a review! Sorry for any spelling mistakes. We are both really bad at spelling.. I had a bit of a hard time writing this chapter, so hopefully this chapter wasn't too bad. I'm going to end this long Authors note now so that you can stop reading it and go leave a review! J Go on now. You know you want to. ;)

-Gracie


End file.
